Broken Bonds
by Amme Mahtal
Summary: Hunter and Frankie are both acting weird after the confrontation with Miles against their father. Hunter is always angry and lashes out at anyone who tries to talk to him. Frankie is keeping all of her feelings bottled up and spends her days locked in her room. With Miles finally over his father, will he be able to help his siblings before it's too late? Cover credits to divarivas
1. Up all night

A/N

Hey guys! So recently I was re-watching season 14 and the whole Hollingsworth family drama storyline really caught my attention, which gave me the idea to write this fanfic. It takes place right after the end of Firestarter part 2 and deals with how the Hollingsworth kids are coping. It will be a medium to longish story, so expect lots of chapters! I literally have nothing to do for the rest of the summer so I'll most likely be uploading very frequently. That's about it, so I hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

Hunter stared at the ceiling, watching the patterns the moonlight created from the opened window. He sighed and checked his phone. 4:54am. He was known to stay up late playing video games, but not this late. Especially on a school night. Then again, Hunter wasn't even playing video games; he was lying awake for hours, unsure of what to make of the recent events. Dad threw a mug at him. Miles told him off. Miles got slapped. Frankie tried to prove to dad that she wasn't behind the cheerleading scandal. Frankie almost died in the process and all he cared about was his stupid campaign. Each event was linked to the next. Even though he should be furious at dad for all that he's done, there's a part of him that still wants to pretend that none of it ever happened, like everything is fine.

But things like throwing cups at your child or slapping or neglecting your child aren't suppose to happen. You see or hear about the sad stories of child abuse on the news and think that poor kid. That could never happen to me though because my family is perfect. Then, in the blink of an eye, everything changes, and your family isn't so perfect after all.

* * *

"Hunter? Hunter, it's time to wake up and have breakfast!"

Hunter groaned and rubbed his eyes. "Be right there mom!" he called out. He slid his feet over the bed, yawning loudly. Man I barely slept last night Hunter thought to himself. What was it that had kept him up? Oh yah, the fact that his family was crumpling to pieces. At times he blamed Miles for always setting their dad off, but other times he blamed their father for not paying attention to his children. And sometimes he was so sick of all the fighting and yelling he'd wish it would just stop so he could get a good nights sleep. But that was asking wayyyy too much of the Hollingsworths to accomplish.

As he sleepily stumbled through the hall and down the stairs, he wondered what kind of outburst there would be at breakfast. It would probably be between Miles and their dad no doubt. He yawned again. He was sooo not ready for a full day of school and family drama. He didn't even—

"Oh Hunter, look what you made me do!" yelled their dad.

"Huh?" Hunter muttered, confused, until he looked up and saw their father, now holding an empty pitcher; he was completely drenched in orange juice. "Oh, sorry dad," he offered.

"Are you kidding me?! This was a brand new shirt that I was going to wear to my interview!"

What was his problem? It wasn't like he didn't have another billion shirts just like that one.

"I said I was sorry dad," he said tiredly, not wanting to start something

Mr. Hollingsworth looked at his son incredulously. Did he not understand the importance of his interview? If he didn't impress the media, he would lose the election. It was bad enough his daughter was exposed as one of the delinquents behind the cheerleading incident and his eldest son had started a fire at school. But here Hunter was, standing stock still, as if ruining his new shirt was no big deal. He suddenly felt the urge to slap him. After all, he had done the same to Miles. He could do it to Hunter too and think nothing of it. He started raising his hand slowly, but froze when he heard footsteps. His wife and Frankie entered the room, laughing about some dumb movie they had seen together the night before. The two women stopped dead in their tracks when they saw him. Frankie looked like she wanted to say something, but Mrs. Hollingsworth, sensing tension, quickly ushered her daughter outside. Mr Hollingsworth glared daggers into the fearful crystal blue orbs and pushed past him, causing Hunter to stumble back a bit.

* * *

Hunter just stood there, too shocked to even move. What just happened? Was a shirt really what set his dad off or was it something more? What did Hunter do? He didn't start a fire or sell naked photos of himself. If anything he was the one who always defended their dad, assuring Miles it was just the campaign stress that was putting him on edge. He even called his brother out for giving their dad a hard time on his parenting. Hunter sighed. If only someone had listened to Miles, none of this would have ever happened.

* * *

A/N

And that's the first chapter! I'm sorry if that was short, I'm gonna try to make the next chapter longer. Next update will probably be this weekend or early next week, so stay tuned! Don't forget to review and follow and favorite!


	2. Tempers rising

Sitting down to breakfast that morning was like sitting at lunch on the first day of school. Everything is foreign and new. Nobody knows each other so no one knows quite what to say; the conversation tends to be awkward small talk. This is what eating with the Hollingsworths would feel like to an outsider, never in a million guessing that they were a family because they acted like complete strangers to one another. Hunter didn't like the awkward silence. He missed the times when he and Frankie would boast about their accomplishments at school and Miles would be full of life and tell ridiculous but hilarious stories. He wished he could go back and stay in that part of his life forever. Now every time Hunter opened his mouth, trying to breathe life back into the family, Mr. Hollingsworth would glare daggers until he closed his mouth in utter defeat.

Miles sat at the end of the table and his father at the head. He despised his father; he was so full of himself that he felt the need to let everyone know that he was head of the household. Miles couldn't take it much longer. He wanted desperately to run away and be free from the horrible man, but he knew he couldn't do that to his siblings. It was his job as their older brother to look out for them and protect them from harm's way. If he threw in the towel and left, he would be no different from his father. And besides, what kind of example would he be setting for Hunter and Frankie? When life gets hard you pack up and leave? He had to stay and make sure his father wouldn't hurt his family anymore.

* * *

Frankie also didn't like the silence; it made her uncomfortable. She tried to make eye contact with Hunter for help, but he looked lifeless and in utter despair, like there was nothing that could be done to fix the family from spiraling out of control. Frankie was so depressed she could barely eat. Mrs. Hollingsworth seemed to notice this and said:

"Frankie, are you feeling ok? You've hardly touched your food."

Frankie was about to answer when Mr. Hollingsworth cut her off abruptly, "She's fine. She's just being high maintenance,"he said curtly, before muttering so quietly only Frankie could hear, "as usual."

Frankie gapped at her father in disbelieve, but said nothing. It was almost like he was trying to hurt her, trying to break her. Challenge accepted. Frankie was strong as oak. She swore to herself right then and there that she would never let her father get to her and make her feel any less of herself.

Suddenly, Mr. Hollingsworth let out an exasperated cry of annoyance. Everyone stopped eating and looked up to see what had caused this sudden outburst.

"Hunter!" He bellowed. "Did you even clean the pool yesterday like you were suppose to? It looks downright disgusting!"

Hunter gulped. He was overwhelmed with everything that he had completely forgotten.

"Well?" He demanded.

Hunter took a deep breath before responding, "No. I'm sorry, it completely slipped my mind."

In one swift, angry motion, Mr. Hollingsworth knocked his breakfast to the floor, sending the fine china sprawling. Unpleasant clanging and shattering soon echoed. Little pieces of white and spilled condiments littered the floor. Mr. Hollingsworth got up from his chair and yelled,

"First my shirt and now the pool? I have the press coming over in 10 minutes, 10 minutes Hunter, for an imperative interview! If they see that I can't take care of something as simple as a pool, how will they except me to run a city?!"

Hunter choked back tears and bit his lower lip, so hard that he tasted the warm red liquid. Why was his father taking everything out on him? It wasn't his fault! It wasn't his fault he was behind in the running, it wasn't his fault his brother got high and skipped class, it wasn't his fault his sister posed nude for money, and it definitely was not his fault Miles had burned a part of the school down. So why him? What did Hunter ever do to make his father treat him like this? He wanted to believe his father was just stressed, that he was just tired from work, but he knew that was not the reason.

"I want you to get up off your lazy ass and clean the pool!" His father hollered at him, before retrieving the net and thrusting it into Hunter's unsteady arms.

"But I haven't finished eating!" He cried.

"I don't care," his father shot back. "You ruin my morning, I ruin yours."

And with that, Mr. Hollingsworth stormed out, leaving his family in complete shock and disbelief.

* * *

Miles stared after his father. Usually he was the one who got yelled at or blamed for everything, but Mr. Hollingsworth had barely even glanced at Miles, let alone speak to him. It was almost as if Mr. Hollingsworth had realized Miles wasn't going to be pushed around anymore and—oh no. It was starting. The abuse cycle was starting all over again, except this time, Miles wasn't the target... Hunter was.

The youngest Hollingsworth looked to his remaining family for help, but no one spoke. He sighed and made his way to the pool to begin the task he had been given. He had to admit, the pool did look unhygienic and unsanitary from not being cleaned in several days, but that was no reason for his dad to go off on him like that. Then again, it wasn't like Hunter had much say in the matter. Trying to reason with Mr. Hollingsworth was like playing with fire; sure it could be thrilling and give you an adrenaline rush, but if you're not careful, you get burned.

* * *

Frankie remained at the table, trying her best to fight back the tears that she knew were coming. It made her upset and down right pissed the way their dad had berated Hunter. He didn't even do anything wrong! Frankie and Hunter were extremely close; being twins certainly helped with their close sibling bond. When they were little, they were convinced they had twin telepathy and could read each other's mind. They had stopped believing in such nonsense a long time ago, but Frankie could still sense when Hunter was upset and tried, unsuccessfully, to hide his emotions. She saw it in his eyes; the longing for everything to be ok, the longing for a perfect family, and the longing for a loving father.

"Frankie, you look like you've seen a ghost!"

Her mother's concerns suddenly brought Frankie out of her thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, I don't feel so well," she responded. It wasn't a total lie; she felt sick to the bottom of her stomach for the way their father was behaving. Mrs. Hollingsworth crossed to where Frankie was sitting and placed her hand firmly across her forehead. She frowned and removed her hand slowly.

"Honey, you don't feel sick," Mrs. Hollingsworth reported suspiciously.

Scrambling, Frankie quickly added, "It's my stomach mom! It hurts!" She clutched her middle to emphasis the point.

Mrs. Hollingsworth giggled before asking, "Frankie, are you sure it's not just cramps?"

"Mom!" she cried. Why didn't anyone take her seriously? Frankie really didn't feel herself. Her palms sweating, the blood draining from her face, making her look indeed like a ghost. Not to mention she could feel her stomach unsettling. Mrs. Hollingsworth gave her a look. It seemed hopeless, but just as her mom was about to return to her breakfast, Frankie tried to stand up, but felt her knees wobble. Miles was over in a second, catching her before she even hit the ground.

"Oh my God, Frankie!" Mrs. Hollingsworth cried, rushing over to her two children.

"Mom, she's unconscious!" Miles said with concern.

"Poor baby. I'll carry her up to her room," she said, gently taking her from Miles's arms. She looked around before adding, "You stay and help Hunter finish cleaning up."

Miles sighed as he got up and made his way over to Hunter, who was trying to fish dead leaves out of the pool. He waited until he was sure his mom was out of earshot before approaching his younger brother.

"Look, Hunter—," he started, but was instantly cut off.

"I don't want to talk," Hunter said in a monotone.

Miles groaned. Why was he making this so difficult? He took a deep breath before replying, "Fine, don't talk, just listen." He waited for Hunter to interrupt him again, but when silence fell between the two brothers, Miles began again.

"Hunter, I see the way he treats you. It's not normal," Miles said slowly, trying to be gentle but firm. Hunter was about to speak but Miles cut him off, "Don't you dare say it's just the campaign stress, because you and I both know that isn't true."

Hunter looked down. He knew what Miles was saying made sense, but he he didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to believe his father was intentionally hurting him. He blinked back tears and spun around, so he was now facing his older brother. A sudden burst of anger exploded inside of him, causing him to grit his teeth and his veins pulse rapidly. NOOOO! He yelled. Miles looked taken aback.

"No, no, no!" Hunter yelled again, dropping the net he had been holding. It landed with a loud thud at his feet.

"Look, Hunter," Miles started again, taking a step closer to his younger brother.

"No!" Hunter bellowed, surprising himself. He grabbed his hair in a panic. "Get away from me!" He shouted, taking a step back as Miles tried to get closer. "I can't listen to your lies anymore! It's not true! Dad wouldn't do this to me!" He cried, trying to reassure Miles and himself.

Miles was heartbroken. "Hunter," he pleaded, tears forming in his eyes. "Please listen to me. No matter how much you deny it or wish it wasn't true, it is."

Hunter was silent. He had been so sure if he stopped listening to his brother's words, everything would he alright again. This was not the case. Hunter took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying his best to calm down.

"Hunter," Miles said gently. "It's ok. I've been through this. At first I didn't know what to do, I thought it was my fault. But with the help of some friends, I got through it, and so can you." Miles waited for Hunter to say something, but instead, he just stood there. "Hunter?" Miles asked uneasy. "Please, say something!"

"You want me to say something? Huh, is that what you want?!" Hunter yelled. Miles quickly nodded. Hunter scowled before continuing, "Fine, I'll say something. Mind your own business! I can take care of myself! I'm not two."

Miles looked taken aback. That was not the response he was expecting. What was wrong with Hunter? He was only trying to help him!

"And you know what else?" Hunter asked, not bothering to wait for a response. "Just because you have a problem with dad, doesn't mean I do."

Miles stared at Hunter incredulously. "I don't have a problem with dad! Not anymore I don't."

Hunter scoffed, which only angered Miles further. "Hunter, I'm trying to help you! Why don't you see that? If you stopped denying everything, maybe you'd realize you have a problem!"

That did it. That set him over the edge. Hunter was so mad he swore he could feel his blood boil and steam escape from his ears. In a fit of rage, Hunter pushed Miles, hard, causing him to fall back on the asphalt. "I don't have a problem! You do!" he yelled, pointing his finger. "All you ever do is screw up and make things worse, not better!" Hunter exclaimed, his chest rising and falling with the sudden adrenaline.

Miles tried to speak but no words came out. He was stunned. He had never seen Hunter this angry before. His words were harsh, penetrating deep within his emotions. But, as much as he hated to admit it, his younger brother had a point. Miles was the one who was always screwing up and setting his father on edge. Miles was about to open his mouth and share his thoughts with Hunter, but before he could even speak, Hunter held up a finger and turned away from his brother. He began to walk back inside, but about halfway he stopped and glanced over his shoulder. His eyes brimming with tears, he trembled before managing to choke out, "Just leave me alone."

* * *

A/N

Hey guys! So next week, there may or may not be another update. The reason is because on Wednesday my brother is going to college so we have to drive with all his stuff and then my parents and I are staying with family for a few days after that. I'm going to try to have the next chapter written and hopefully uploaded before we leave, but if not, I'll update as soon as I get back. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and don't forget to leave a review and follow and favorite!


	3. You are not ok part 1

A/N

Hey guys! Sorry for the wait, if you saw my last author's note, you'll see why I haven't updated in awhile. Next week my preseason for field hockey starts which will take up about half my day, but I'm gonna try to update as much as I can. Sorry if this chapter is on the short side, next one will be longer I promise.

* * *

Miles sighed and got up slowly. What just happened? Hunter was acting weird, in denial almost. Miles saw the look of fear in Hunter's eyes whenever their father was around, so why was he claiming nothing was wrong? Miles didn't understand one bit of it. He wanted to go after him, make sure he was ok, but the oldest Hollingsworth sibling knew that wasn't an option, based on the way Hunter had just acted. The best thing he could do was make up for all the time he'd missed cutting class and getting high. That might put his father in a better mood and avoid another outburst at breakfast. Whatever it takes.

* * *

With a new mindset, Miles decided he was going to be a better student, son, and brother. He went to class, stopped smoking weed, and helped his family anyway he could. Since the breakfast episode, Frankie continued to stay locked in her room all day, claiming she was still feeling under the weather, but everyone knew this wasn't the case. However, Mrs. Hollingsworth insisted that she needed time to get over the cheerleading scandal, and if staying in bed all day was the answer, then that was fine by her. Hunter on the other hand isolated himself from the rest of the world; he went to school, shrinking in the shadows, played video games until his hands fell off, slept and repeat. Miles wanted to say something but knew if he did it would only anger Hunter further. Still, that didn't stop Miles from worrying about his siblings. Something had to be done.

School became a blur for Hunter, a stressful and lonely blur. He didn't have many friends. In fact, he wasn't sure if he had any. In the past he had always counted on having Frankie by his side, or Miles as a bodyguard. But everything was different now; Frankie was held up in her room all day, refusing to come out, not even for food, and Miles was actually trying to do well in school, shocking Hunter beyond belief. Hunter tried to do his best too, but he didn't see the point anymore. He didn't see the point of anything anymore.

* * *

She sat in the back of the computer lab, trying unsuccessfully to get past level 47 in Realm of Doom. C'mon she muttered out loud. No! She groaned as the words game over appeared on the monitor. Sighing, she switched off the game and sat back in the chair, looking around her. The room was completely empty except for one other person, Hunter. He was sitting a couple of rows away from of her, but she could see his face; his porcelain white skin lit up under the dim lights and the computers' glow. As she got a better look at his face, she noticed dark purple rings under his once crystal blue eyes. They had lost their sparkle that made her heart melt. His pearly white smile that he usually flashed had also disappeared. Something was clearly bothering Hunter, but Arlene didn't know what.

She and Hunter barely talked anymore, which upset the young gamer. It wasn't like they were soul mates or anything, but since Frankie introduced them, they had eaten lunch together everyday, hung out at the Dot after school, (usually to discus the differences between American and Japanese comics), and passed notes during class. Arlene really missed her friend. She knew he was hurting; she could see it in his facial expressions. She wanted to make him feel better, but she didn't know how. I guess I can start by talking to him she thought to herself. She got up from her chair, but as soon she did, Hunter was out of the door, leaving Arlene speechless. What's going on with him? I didn't do anything, did I? No, Arlene, don't think like that. We haven't spoken to each other in weeks! He's probably just late for something. Arlene bit her lip. I hope.

* * *

Days passed, but nothing changed. Hunter went to school, blocking everyone out with his headphones. He would try to come home as late as possible, attempting to avoid his family all together. Dinners were the worst; Frankie had still not come out of her room, and no one spoke. The only sound that could be heard was the clinking of silverware against the china plates. Every so often awkward eye contact would be exchanged, but it was quickly subsided.

* * *

One night Hunter was playing Call of Duty. He had his headphones on and the volume turned up all the way.

"Hunter, dinner's ready!" his mother called, but Hunter, lost in the game, didn't hear her. Frowning, she set the plates she had been holding on the table. "Hunter?" his mom called again.

Just then, loud footsteps echoed throughout the house. Mr. Hollingsworth strode into the living room, eyeing his son wearily. All he ever did these days was sit around and play video games. At least his other two children had done sports but Hunter couldn't be bothered to move at all.

"Hey!" he yelled at his son. When he didn't respond, he yanked his earphones off.

Hunter look at his father, confused. "Dad, what the—"

"You be quiet!" he hollered. "Your mother calls you to dinner twice and you don't answer?! What's the matter with you?!"

"Honey, give him a break. The poor boys been—," Mrs. Hollingsworth started, but her husband abruptly cut her off.

"This doesn't concern you!" he yelled. "Stay out of it!"

Mrs. Hollingsworth sighed and looked longingly at her son, but his eyes were glued to the floor. She sighed again and went back to setting the table.

Hunter, glancing at his mother for a moment being staring incredulously at his father said, "Dad, I had my headphones on! I swear I wasn't—"

His father cut him off again, "And that's another thing. Why do you always have to have these ridiculous things covering your ears?!"

The youngest Hollingsworth glared at his father. "Maybe they help me tune out all the crazy shit that's going on!" He tried to grab his earphones back, but Mr. Hollingsworth held them up so high that he couldn't reach them. Hunter silently cursed for his short height. He jumped as high as he could but that did nothing. Mr. Hollingsworth got an evil look in his eyes. Hunter gasped. He wouldn't. Before he had time to react, Mr. Hollingsworth threw the headpiece across the room, causing it to snap in half. Hunter just stood there, lost for words. Finally, he came to his senses.

"Those cost me like 200 dollars!" he yelled, furious now.

"Then stop spending your money on useless crap! I'm tired of watching you sit around all day!" He hollered back at his son.

"How would you know what I do all day?!" Hunter asked, fuming. "You're never home! And even when you are, you're either yelling or breaking things!" he shot back.

That did it. How dare Hunter talk to him like that! In a fit of rage, he grabbed the Xbox and the game controller and threw them both hard on the ground. They instantly shattered into a million pieces. Satisfied, Mr. Hollingsworth stormed out.

Mrs. Hollingsworth looked at her youngest son apologetically and murmured, "Hunter—," but before she could finish, he ran out of the room, tears streaming down his face.

* * *

A/N

And that's it! Next chapter will be posted sometime this week. As always, don't forget to leave a review and remember to follow and favorite!


	4. You are not ok part 2

A/N

Hello! Sorry for the wait. Preseason has been kicking my butt and I've been studying for the written test to get my permit. It was hard to find time to write the next chapter, but I finally sat down one night and did it! Yay! I wanted to make sure this update was longer than the last because it took me so long to write it. From now on, updates will probably only be once a week or maybe twice if I have extra time. Thank you all so much for being patient and for the reviews! I love reading them! Anyway, that's about it, so enjoy!

* * *

Frankie sat in bed, scrolling through Facerange. This week at school there had been a movie night, pep rally, pajama day, breakfast for lunch, a guest speaker, and a raging party thrown by the school president himself, Drew Torres. Frankie sighed. She was missing out on all of these fun things by staying in bed all day. At least at the beginning of the week she had an actual excuse to stay home but as the week went on, Frankie was less enthusiastic about going back.

Ever since the events at the cheerleading competition, Frankie felt hesitant to trust anyone ever again, especially her father. He tried to make her take the fall for the cheerleading scandal, which she was totally against and the reason she quit in the first place. If that wasn't enough, she got trapped in a fire and nearly died trying to prove to her father she wasn't behind it. He didn't even ask her if she was alright! He didn't even looked concerned when he saw his children exit a burning building! All he cared about was his reputation and making sure she took the blame so he could become mayor.

* * *

Frankie let out a long, exhausted sigh. With everything that was going on, she was barely able to sleep, relying on constant naps throughout the day to keep her energy up. She was about to climb under the covers for the third time that day when she heard commotion coming from downstairs. The young Hollingsworth sighed once more. When would the drama stop? When would things be resolved? When would the family be at peace with one another? When would— _slam!_ Frankie whipped her head up and looked around her; the loud motion interrupting her train of thought. _Wait a minute_ she thought. That slam sounded relatively close; she and Hunter's rooms were right next to each other, sharing a wall.

Curious, she got up from her bed and crouched beside the dividing wall, straining her ears. Loud and unpleasant crashing rang in her eardrums; Hunter was most likely throwing things. _But why_ Frankie thought to herself. As she listened more closely, faint sobbing could be heard through the thin wall. Frankie gasped. Why was Hunter crying? Hunter rarely showed his emotions. He was the kind of guy that let everyone know he was fine and keep everything bottled up until he broke down. _I guess that's why he waited to be alone in his room_ Frankie thought. More than anything, she wanted to wrap her arms around him and comfort him like she used to whenever he was upset, but she knew this wasn't the right time. Hunter was weird like that; whenever he was in a mood, he liked to be left alone and avoid people all together.

* * *

After the fight with his father, Hunter became even quieter than usual. He only spoke when spoken to and avoided getting involved in any conversations. He was afraid if he voiced his ideas or opinions about literally anything his dad would go off on him. It wasn't worth it; he'd be a fool to go up against his father. _No one ever wins against him._ His father had won; Mr. Hollingsworth had silenced Hunter.

* * *

As the days went by, Hunter continued to tune the world out by playing countless hours of video games. Even though his father had broken the Xbox, Hunter still managed to sneak in a few hours after school. He'd sit in the computer lap, drowning his sorrows in Realm of Doom until his eyelids closed and the janitor kicked him out.

Playing Realm of Doom was like escaping the current world and entering a new one. No one judged him, no one made fun of him, and most importantly, no one ignored him. He had friends whom he talked to over the gameplay, and even a few "lovers", (though he was careful, remembering what happened last time when his online love turned out to be that annoying blonde from Florida). The game helped him forget the troubles he was going through at home and make him feel more relaxed and carefree.

But, despite all the positive things Hunter got from playing Realm of Doom, his grades began to slip drastically. His father of course found out and lectured him for hours on end. On one particular day, Hunter had flunked Armstrong's algebra test, which was weird for Hunter, considering he was good at math, what with all the time he spend coding and messing around with computers. Nevertheless, he would still have the red F to remind him of his failures.

As he filed out of class, shoulders slumped and head down, he heard snickering. He turned around to see Zig with that weird girl who died part of her hair blue. He groaned. He absolutely _despised_ Zig. The whole "bad boy" look he portrayed (or thought he portrayed) was almost too much for the young gamer. Not to mention, Zig had beaten Miles up over a stupid girl. Rolling his eyes, Hunter turned around again to head to the computer lab, but before he could even take a step, he felt strong arms grip his shoulders tightly.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Hunter whirled around, coming face to face with his brother's nemesis. He did _not_ feel like dealing with this wannabe punk right now.

"What, no answer? You're even more of an introvert than I thought!" Zig said in a despicable tone, grasping Hunter's arm in a painful grip. He clearly wanted a reaction out of Hunter, but he wasn't going to give him that satisfaction.

Instead, Hunter glared at the older boy and abruptly yanked his arm back, and said in a quiet but firm voice, "Leave me alone."

Hunter didn't bother looking back. Zig wasn't worth one more glance or one more breath. He was just like all the other bullies he had encountered in his life, demeaning, vicious, and just plain mean. But Hunter had always tried not take everything they said to heart; he knew they were insecure, and responding was just adding fuel to their fire. He smiled to himself. Slowly but surely, Hunter was becoming more confident in himself, something he had struggled with in the past. He grinned. Maybe today wasn't going to be so bad after all. Maybe even—

"Or what, you're going to cuss about me online to all your 'friends'," the sleeveless tener retorted. "Freak," he spat.

That did it. Without warning, Hunter ran back to where Zig was still standing and slammed him as hard as he could into the lockers and held him by his shirt. His pulse was racing from the sudden adrenaline. Zig just started at him, mouth agape and eyes wide. He tried to push the annoying niner off, but Hunter, fueled by his anger, held him in a death grip.

"Don't you dare call me that!" Hunter yelled. By now, a huge crowd of students had gathered to watch the exchange, some whispering, some pointing, but the young boy was too angry to care.

"You don't know anything about me!" he shouted again.

Without thinking, Hunter raised his fist and punched Zig right in the nose. Instantly, blood began to trickle down the side of his face and onto his tank top. Zig was too shocked to react. Hunter lowered his fist and took a step back, not believing what he had just done. The whole hallway had gone dead silent, waiting to see what would happen next.

"Mr. Hollingsworth," came an all too familiar voice. Hunter looked up to see Mr. Armstrong staring down at him, his arms crossed, tapping his feet impatiently. Hunter gulped. He wondered how long he had been standing there. Mr. Armstrong seemed to read his mind, for he said,

"I saw what you did to Mr. Novak from _across_ the hallway!" He yelled, glaring at Hunter before continuing, "Detention Mr. Hollingsworth, for two weeks! _And_ I'm going to be phoning your parents about this little outburst of yours."

Hunter closed his eyes and tried to ignore the murmurs and hushed voices that began to ripple through the hallway like a tidal wave. It was all so unfair! Zig started the fight! He got what was coming to him! He was the one who had insulted him and tried to start a fight. Hunter balled his hands into fists in utter frustration; Zig had succeeded, and now he was going to have to face his father.

"Alright, everyone, get to class!" Armstrong shouted.

Everyone scurried like scared mice, bumping into each other as they tried to navigate their way through the now crowded hallway. Mr. Armstrong watched the frenzy and sighed, shaking his head as he walked back to his classroom. Zig, who had remained silent for quite some time, bent down and whispered in his ear,

"I win," he said, pushing past Hunter, smirking as he went.

* * *

Hunter stood frozen in the middle of the hallway. He couldn't believe his luck. First he had failed his math test and then got detention for a fight he didn't even start! His dad was going to killhim when he found out. _No!_ He thought to himself. His dad _was_ the problem. He was always in his head, messing with his thoughts. Hunter gasped. _I'm just like him_ , always lashing out at people; Miles was just trying to help, and Zig? Zig was just a stupid bully! Hunter thought he was better than this. He thought he was above getting involved in conflict or getting in trouble.

Suddenly, in the same fit of rage he had expressed moments ago, Hunter eyed a stray trash can and flung it across the hallway, spewing garbage everywhere. He clenched his jaw and let out short, huffed breathes of anger. He felt the bile whelm up in his chest as he he kicked the trash can, leaving a significant dent on the side. The youngest Hollingsworth gritted his teeth and walked away in utter defeat, unaware of the chocolate brown eyes watching him.

* * *

A/N

Ooooo a cliffhanger! Who do you think is watching Hunter? LOL I'm getting too excited (oops). Next update will have to be next week because I am going to a concert with my friends this weekend and then its my birthday! As always, don't forget to leave a review and follow and favorite! Thanks for reading :)


	5. You are not ok part 3

Winston stood frozen, still not believing what he had just witnessed. He knew he should go find Miles and tell him what he saw, but he and Miles hadn't really talked since the intervention about Mile's pot addiction went horribly wrong. He knew deep down that his friend was hurting and he should try to help him out, but he wasn't sure if it was his place to get involved with family matters. He knew nothing about Hunter or even if he and Miles got along; meddling would probably make things worse. What was he suppose to do? Ignore the issue until it eventually spiraled out of control or do the right thing and tell Miles about Hunter?

Suddenly, Winston didn't care about the risks. He and Miles had been friends for too long to end their relationship with each other by something as stupid as not talking. If the roles were reversed, Miles would surely do the same for him. Winston bit his lip. I think.

* * *

Miles sat in the back of study hall, lost in his thoughts. Over a week had gone by, but nothing seemed to be getting any better; Hunter was as distant as ever, Frankie was in her own world, and his mother was oblivious to everything going on. Miles slammed his fists on the table in frustration, startling some of the students and causing the study hall monitor to glance up from her reading. But Miles didn't care. Nobody in the whole damn room knew what he or anyone else in his family was going through. Their judgmental looks and whispers meant nothing to the troubled teen.

Then he thought of Hunter. Miles sighed. He wanted to help his brother, but he didn't know how. He had tried talking, but that only seemed to make him more angry and upset. What could he do? Just then, Zig walked in, accompanied by the nurse, who, eyeing Miles as if trying to put a name to his face, crossed the room to talk to the study hall monitor. Miles glanced at Zig. He was holding a bloody tissue to his nose, looking even more pissed than usual. Without warning, Zig grabbed the back of Miles's shirt and roughly tossed him into the hallway, eyeing the shocked reactions as he did so.

When Miles finally came to his senses, he spun around so he was facing Zig and yelled:

"What the hell is your problem?!"

Zig scoffed before replying, "What's my problem? My problem is your brother!"

Miles gasped. "You mean Hunter? What did he do?"

The sleeveless boy glared at Moneybags. "This!" he yelled, removing the tissue and pointing to his nose.

The oldest Hollingsworth looked taken aback. "There's no way Hunter could have done that!" he said, his voice shaky, not quite sure if what he was saying was actually true. "He's never been in a fight before in his life!" he added, trying to sound confident in his answer. Glancing at Zig slightly, he muttered, "I think."

Zig laughed at his uneasiness. "Why don't you ask him yourself if your not sure?"

"Huh?"

Zig pointed down the hallway. Miles followed his gaze until he locked eyes with his brother. Hunter looked extremely unpleasant. Great Miles thought to himself.

"What the hell are you doing?" the youngest Hollingsworth shouted, approaching the older boys. He looked from Miles to Zig, and then back at Miles. "I thought I told you to leave me alone! I can fight my own battles!"

"Hunter, what are you talking about? I haven't done anything!" Miles cried, trying to calm his brother down.

Smirking, Zig muttered under his breathe, "Not yet."

Miles turned away from Hunter to glare at Zig. "Go!" he shouted, gesturing his arm towards the classroom they had left moments ago.

"Fine, whatever you say, Moneybags," Zig replied, pushing past Miles as he went.

Sighing, Miles turned around again to face Hunter, who was taping his foot impatiently. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He tried again, trying to form a sentence, but nothing happened. Finally, Hunter broke the silence.

"I know what you're thinking," he paused. "You think I'm crazy."

"What?" Miles managed to choke out. "I don't think that!"

"Well you could have fooled me!" Hunter retorted.

The eldest Hollingsworth sighed. "Look, Hunter, I'm your older brother, okay? I want to help you."

The younger boy looked offended. "But I've told you! I don't need help!"

Miles ran his fingers through his hair, trying to remain calm. "You may think you don't need help, but you do. The more you deny it the worst it gets, trust me Hunter!" he paused, quickly glancing at Hunter, but the young gamer said nothing, signaling Miles to keep going.

"It's okay to admit you have a problem! It's okay to ask for help!" he said, trying to get through to his brother. Why was this so difficult for him to grasp?

"But I don't have a problem!" Hunter shouted, rage building up inside of him once more.

Miles threw his head back in utter frustration. He was about to slap Hunter. Then he thought of something; "How do you explain the way dad has been acting?" He asked calmly. Hunter's face went blank, trying to come up with an answer, but when he didn't, Miles only smirked. He could tell his brother was conflicted. He took a deep breath before saying slowly:

"If you think for one second that the way dad has been treating you is normal and not abusive, then you're delusional!" He waited for a snarky comment from Hunter, but when none came, Miles continued, more gentle this time.

"He puts you down, Hunter; he tears down your wall of hope and confidence. He gets in your head, convincing you that anger is the only way to deal with things. But you can't get trapped! You can't let him change you! I mean, c'mon! Zig? Really? If dad wasn't doing this to you, when would you ever get into a fight with that jerk?"

Hunter looked at the ground and said nothing. He didn't want or need to hear this! How dare Miles talk to him like this was some kind of therapy session.

"Hunter," Miles said, abruptly bringing Hunter out of his thoughts. "You are not okay, and lashing out at me, Zig, or anyone else isn't going to solve the problem. Let me help you, please, Hunter! I just want to make things right between us!"

Hunter looked up at his older brother, his eyes on the brim of tears. He felt a little guilty that he kept yelling at him; all Miles was trying to do was make everything okay, and, deep down, Hunter appreciated that. The truth was, he did want things to go back to normal, he did want to be okay again. But he couldn't come to terms with the fact that his father was the one causing all of this. A father is suppose to be the glue of the family, holding everyone together, being someone they can all count on. To have that all tossed aside confused and upset the young gamer. There was still a part of him that believed in him, that he could still be the loving father Hunter remembered him as.

"Miles," Hunter said slowly, choosing his words carefully. "I know you've had your problems with dad in the past, I saw him hit you."

The eldest Hollingsworth looked at his brother, surprised. Finally, he seemed to be realizing that their dad was the problem. Finally! He had gotten through to him! Miles was about to open his mouth to share this, but Hunter abruptly cut him off.

"But Miles, he's my dad! I need him!" he cried, biting his lip. "I still love him."

"Hunter—," Miles started, but Hunter was already walking away, his hands in his face.

Miles closed his eyes and bit his lower lip, trying to blink back the tears that he knew were coming. It was upsetting to watch his brother fall into the same trap and still want their father's love and affection. No matter how hard Miles tried, Hunter wouldn't listen—or didn't want to listen—which killed Miles, seeing as he had been in the same place as Hunter not so long ago. No one had taken him seriously, brushing it aside, claiming Miles was the one who set his father off. But Miles didn't choose to be hit. He didn't choose to be shoved into a painting. And he definitely didn't choose to be the one to find his father having an affair. Miles grit his teeth. The family was never the same after that.

* * *

A/N

Hey guys! I'm sorry I haven't updated in awhile. School is starting soon so I'll probably only be able to post on the weekends. But don't worry, I know exactly where I am going with this story, I just need to find time to write it! Also, I've been re-watching clips on youtube from season 13-14 about Miles's storyline, and I think I have an idea for another Degrassi story after this one, so stay tuned! Thanks for reading!


	6. A fresh start

The black haired gamer ran up and down the halls, looking for any sign of Miles. Where could he be? He wasn't in the garden, caf, gym, library, or parking lot. Winston stopped to catch his breath; running around on a wild goose chase had left him dead exhausted. What if he couldn't find him? What if they never talked again? What if his dad kept hurting him? What if—

"Chewy?"

Winston immediately whipped his head up at the embarrassing nickname. "Oh, hey Miles," he huffed.

Miles frowned at his friend. "You ok? You look like you just ran a marathon or something," he said, chuckling slightly at the idea of Winston doing any physical activity besides gaming.

"Me? I'm good, I just—," Winston trailed off before collapsing onto the ground in a tangled heap.

The eldest Hollingsworth slid down next to him. "Look, Winston, I know we haven't really talked since the "pot addiction" intervention, but I just want to say that I'm sorry for the way I treated everyone, especially you."

Winston, who had finally caught his breath, looked up at Miles, surprised. "Really?"

Miles nodded his head. "I was really messed up back then. Maya had broken my heart, I didn't know my sexuality, you were making out with my sister—" he confessed. Winston laughed at the last reason, causing Miles to laugh too. Soon the two of them were slapping their knees and clutching their stomachs like old times. He had really missed his friend; not having anyone to game with had taken its toll on him.

* * *

"Winston?"

"Hmm?" the gamer murmured, his thoughts interrupted.

"I need your help. It's Hunter," Miles said slowly.

Winston face-palmed, a wave of guilt instantly washing over him. He had been so caught up in reconnecting with Miles that he had completely forgotten to mention Hunter.

Miles, eyeing his friend's uneasiness, asked gently, "You okay?"

Winston sighed. "Miles, I saw Hunter earlier today. He got in a fight with Zig… it wasn't pretty."

"I know."

Winston did a double take. He knew? "But how? I thought you had study hall?"

Sighing, Miles explained. "I did, Zig had a "talk" with me," he said, rolling his eyes.

Winston groaned. He didn't like Zig either. Who was he trying to impress anyway? The bad boy act was waring thin. Shaking his head, Winston asked, "Wait so what's wrong with Hunter? Why'd he of all people get in a fight with Zig?"

Miles didn't speak. Instead, he looked to the ground, eyeing the shoes that passed by out of his peripheral vision. Sighing, he looked back to his friend before muttering so quietly only Winston could hear, "It's my dad."

Winston gasped. "He hasn't—hit Hunter, has he?" he stuttered, barely managing to let the words escape from his lips. He knew Mr. Hollingsworth had abused Miles in the past; physically and emotional, but he wasn't sure if he had moved on.

"I don't know. And that's what scares me the most, not knowing," he paused, squeezing his eyes shut as the painful memories of the past penetrated his mind.

Winston looked longingly at the troubled teen. For so long, he had kept his mouth shut, living in silence, while his friend suffered the consequences. He wanted to tell someone, to speak out. The first time he had witnessed the unhealthy father-son relationship, Miles had begged him not to say anything, and Winston had made a promise. A promise he was now regretting.

"Miles, you have to talk to Hunter," Winston finally said. "You have to let him know that he's not alone. You can't let your father do this again!"

"Don't you think I've already tried that? Every time I try to talk to him he freaks out and tells me to leave him alone! But I can't Winston, I can't!" he cried, his voice cracking. A single tear rolled down his cheek, but Miles quickly wiped it away with the back of his hand.

"Okay, okay," Winston said, placing a hand on Mile's shoulder. He turned his body so he was now facing Miles. "So maybe talking isn't going to work. Maybe Hunter just wants to figure this out on his own."

Miles opened his mouth to object, but Winston quickly cut him off. "But that doesn't mean you can't keep an eye on him and your dad."

Miles leaned back against the lockers, processing the idea. "I guess that could work. I mean, it's better than running around in circles, trying to figure out how to help him." Miles looked at his friend and smiled. Winston returned the smile, glade that he was finally able to do something about the ugly situation. He was always afraid that he was just Mile's sidekick, shrinking in his shadow, never quite finding his place. But now he was full of confidence and ready to put an end to all the pain and suffering Mr. Hollingsworth had caused his friend.

* * *

After talking with Winston, Miles felt at ease. In his darkest moment, Miles had lashed out at everyone who loved him and lost so many friends during his struggles with his father; he didn't want Hunter to do the same. But, now that he and Winston were friends again, Miles had faith that he could make everything go back to normal.

"Uh, Miles, not to change the subject, but where's Frankie? She's missed a whole week of school and hasn't texted me once!"

Miles was so caught up in his thoughts he had barely heard what his friend had said. They had been talking about the latest Call of Duty, but Winston, being Winston, had rambled on and on, causing Miles to zone out. Miles stood up awkwardly, as did Winston. They had been sitting for so long he felt a little light headed. "Frankie? he asked, uneasy. "She's—she's kinda going through some stuff too," he said, choosing his words carefully, trying not to worry his sister's boyfriend.

"Her too?" Winston asked. He almost didn't believe it, but then again, he wasn't really surprised; their whole family was falling apart.

Miles was about to respond, but before he could, a hot pink and purple blob crashed into him, causing his body to slam into the lockers. Miles groaned from the impact. What the—

"OMG! There you are!" cried the blob, leaping to her feet at once.

Miles winced as he tired to stand up, his back aching slightly. Once he got to his feet, he saw two girls he had never seen before, looking expectingly at him.

"We've been looking everywhere for you!" cried the second girl.

"Lola? Shay? What are you guys doing here?" Winston asked.

"Wait a minute, you know them?" Miles inquired, turning to face him.

"They're—,"

"We're Frankie's best friends!" chimed the girl who had run into Miles. She seemed a little too peppy.

"You're her older brother, Miles, right?" asked the other girl. She was tall with chocolate brown skin and thick black curls that would make any movie star jealous. Miles could only nod.

"She's been absent every day this past week without any explanation," she continued, looking at Miles suspiciously.

"We were worried she got abducted by aliens or something!" cried Lola, the pink and purple haired cheerleader. Shay rolled her eyes before adding, "Well?"

"Look, guys, Frankie's fine. She just isn't feeling well," Miles said lamely. It wasn't a total lie; she had passed out, but after that went down, she had managed to convince their mom that she had the flu.

"Uh-hun," Lola said sarcastically. "There's no way she wouldn't respond to the bajillion texts I've sent her!"

Miles bit his lip and quickly looked at Winston for help, but he was distracted by his phone. Sighing, the eldest Hollingsworth turned back to face the two niners.

"Ok, maybe she isn't totally sick, but—,"

"I knew it!" cried Lola.

"Lol, let him finish!" Shay said, annoyed.

"Anyways," Miles continued, "I think she could really use some friends right now."

Both girls' face light up with excitement. "Really?" asked Shay and Lola at once.

Miles smiled. "Really. Why don't you come over later?"

"Yay!" Lola squealed. Before he had time to react, Lola wrapped her arms around his waist in a she hug, and whispered, thank you, before skipping down the halls.

Shay watched her friend go before turning back to the boys. "Sorry about Lola. She has a lot of energy as I'm sure you've noticed," she said, giggling slightly. "Anyways, I'll see you guys later!"

* * *

Miles didn't know what to think of Frankie's friends. They seemed to be nice but a little weird. He shrugged. Then again he and Winston were probably even weirder. He sighed. He just hoped that by having her friends see her, Frankie would snap out of it. Miles was extremely worried about her; it had been almost week but still she stayed in bed all day. He was beginning to think she might be depressed. He bit his lip. No he thought to himself. Frankie's a smart girl. She's strong. She won't let herself get that way; she won't let their father ruin her whole life for her.

* * *

A/N

Hey guys! Last week school started for me, and I'm already sick of it :/ but anyways, that's why I haven't update in awhile. As I said on the last chapter, I'll only be posting on the weekends now because I'm so busy with school and like a million other things. This is just a side note, but check out the pictures of Eric, Ricardo, and Sara (Miles Zig and Frankie) on instagram from the Emmy's last night because omg they totally killed it! (the boys clean up well!) LOL you guys know the drill, review follow and favorite. Thanks for reading!


	7. Reunited

Hunter sat in the back of detention, eyeing the clock wearily; he still had half an hour before he could leave. This was all Zig's fault! He was the one who started it! Hunter had just been at the wrong place at the wrong time. He signed, the conversation with Miles slowly playing in his mind once more. He wanted to believe his brother, he wanted to believe their father was the one making Hunter crazy, but somehow, he just couldn't.

* * *

" _Dad! I'm sorry!"_

" _You're a failure! I can't even stand to look at you!"_

" _Dad please! I'll try harder next time, I promise!"_

" _It's too late fore that. Hunter… Hunter? Hunter!_

Hunter awoke with a start, his heart racing and his forehead sweating. Gasping for breath, he looked up to see the detention monitor peering over him, worry etched on her face.

"Hunter?" she repeated. "Are you okay?"

The young Hollingsworth quickly looked around him, noticing he was the only one still in detention. How long had he been dreaming?

"Hunter!" the teacher called again, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm okay, just a bad dream," he said hurriedly, not wanting to alarm her. He quickly rose to his feet, but halfway to the door, the teacher stopped him.

"Hunter, that sounded more like a nightmare," she said, pausing to look at him. Hunter ducked his head, trying to avoid eye contact. She frowned before continuing, "If something's going on at home—"

"Nothing's going on at home!" he said quickly. The last thing he needed was a call home to his parents about all this.

"I'm just really stressed about this algebra test I flunked," he said, trying to sound reassuring.

"Well, if you're sure," she said uncertainly.

Not wanting to give her anymore reason to be suspicious, Hunter ran out the door, thoughts racing through his mind. What was happening? Why was he having nightmares in class? Why couldn't he just—

"Oof!" cried a voice.

Hunter groaned, the pain from the impact rushing to his head. "Sorry, I didn't see you," he murmured.

"Hunter?"

He froze. He recognized that voice anywhere. He got up slowly, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "Arlene?"

"Hi," she said quietly.

Hunter stood, completely and utterly flabbergasted. He hadn't seen or talked to her in weeks! It was almost surreal seeing her standing in front of him, like a dream almost. He sighed. It wasn't like he was mad at her or anything, he had just lost touch with her. He gritted his teeth. Because of him. Its all because of him.

"I should get going," Arlene said abruptly. She picked up the books she had been carrying and spun on her heels, blinking back tears.

"Arlene, wait!" Hunter cried, grabbing her arm. She turned around to face him, tears brimming in the corner of her eyes. It ached him to see her so upset, knowing he was the cause of her unhappiness.

"Why? Why should I wait? I thought we were friends! You ignore me for weeks without any explanation, and I'm just suppose to be okay with that?!" she cried, causing some students to stop and stare at the confrontation.

Aware of the drawing crowd, Hunter leaned in and whispered, "I know, I screwed up, but please, let me explain."

Arlene crossed her arms over her chest, contemplating. She was still mad at Hunter for dissing her, but, truth be told, she really cared about him, like more than a friend; she just had trouble expressing her feelings. Ever since she saw him in the computer lab, she wanted to run up to him and give him a hug and tell him everything was going to be okay. It was just as much her fault as it was his that they had stopped interacting. She could have gone up to him anytime, but she never did. Not wanting to make the same mistake, she quickly whispered:

"Meet me in the library in 5 minutes."

Hunter quickly nodded. She gave him a quick smile before running off. The young gamer sighed, his emotions running high. He really liked Arlene, but wasn't sure if she felt the same way. He didn't want to make things awkward between them, especially since they had just reconvened. She was his only friend and he couldn't afford to lose her, especially with everything that was going on. Hunter groaned, the typical teenage angst quickly setting in. _That's it then_ he thought to himself. _I'll just pretend that I don't like her._ He snorted. _Yeah, that will work._

* * *

Arlene sat by their usual spot in the library, waiting, for what seemed like an eternity. What if he didn't show? What if he didn't care about her? Did he care about her? She sighed, her questions buzzing like angry bees. She just wanted everything to go back to normal. The last couple of weeks had been hard on the young gamer. Without Hunter, she had no one to talk to, sit with at lunch, walk to class, or even say hi to. Without him, she was an empty shell, dying to be free. But when she was with Hunter, her true self arose; the kind, passionate and brilliant girl all her teachers described her as. But without him, without her best friend, she couldn't live up to any of those expectations.

"Arlene?" came a voice.

The black haired girl spun around in her chair as soon as she heard her name. She looked up to see a very tired and anxious Hunter. Getting a closer look at him, she realized he looked even worse than he did the last time she saw him; hair tousled, bloodshot eyes, zombie-like form, and overall just lifeless, as if nothing even mattered.

Sighing, Hunter took a seat next to Arlene and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands, yawning in the process. He took a deep breath, looked up into her eyes and began.

* * *

He told Arlene everything; he told her about his dad yelling at him and how he broke his games. He told her about Miles and how he tried to talk to him several times. He told her about Frankie and her downward spiral into depression. He even told her about punching Zig, causing the sweet girl to shutter, making Hunter even more ashamed of his actions. Finally, when Hunter had finished, he looked nervously at Arlene, not knowing how she would react. He had to admit, she had been a very good listener, never interrupting or losing focus.

"Well?" he asked.

The young girl stood up, but still didn't respond. Hunter got up nervously, his palms sweating and his heart racing. What was she thinking? Before he had time to come up with an answer, Arlene ran towards Hunter and flung her arms around him, surprising him greatly. At first, he just stood there, not knowing what to do, with her arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders. Seconds later his instincts kicked in and he enveloped her in his arms, holding her close.

* * *

After what seemed like a lifetime, Arlene finally let go of Hunter. A silence soon fell between the two friends; Arlene didn't know what to say. Never in a million years would she have guessed that Hunter was going through an ordeal that horrific. Nevertheless, she wanted to help her friend in anyway she could.

"Hey, Hunter," she said suddenly, an idea popping into her head. "What if I helped you with algebra so you can bring your grade up?"

Hunter perked his head up at this, seeming to like the idea. "Yah, that would be great! Why don't you come over later?"

Arlene's face went from excited to dead scared at Hunter's last words. "Are you sure that's a good idea? Won't your dad get mad?"

The young Hollingsworth looked at her, confused. "Why would he? Besides, we'd be doing work."

"I guess your right," she said.

"Course I'm right," Hunter said, flashing Arlene a toothy grin.

Arlene rolled her eyes, and playfully punched him, laughing as she did so.

"Ooh you think you're real funny don't ya?" Hunter teased. Arlene could only giggle. He grinned before shouting, "The be prepared to be tickled!"

Before Arlene had time to react, Hunter grabbed her and began tickling at her sides, making her guffaw with laughter.

"Stop—stoop!" she cried, gasping for breath. She tried to pry his hands away, but instead she lost her balance, causing them to both fall to the floor. Their eyes met for a split second, but Hinter quickly got up, offering his hand to her. She reluctantly took it, an awkward silence soon following.

"So… see you later?" he asked, scratching the back of his head.

"Huh? Oh yah, I'll come over later to study!" she said, quickly making her way to the door. When she was outside the library, she peered around the corner to see Hunter staring after her. _Oh my god does he like me?!_

* * *

A/N

I know, I know, I suck for not posting last weekend smh. I had a field hockey tournament and didn't get back until late Sunday night. Anyways, I'm back to updating every weekend now, so you guys shouldn't have to wait 2 weeks anymore.


	8. On the edge

Frankie sat in bed, binge watching the _Bring It On_ cheerleader movies. She missed power cheer so much that sometimes she wished she had just sucked it up and kept oomph chatting. _I mean, I already did it once, why couldn't I do it again?_ She paused. Maybe that was the difference between her and Zoe; Frankie knew when to stop, when enough was enough. Zoe would do anything to benefit herself, not matter how much pain and suffering she caused.

Still, that didn't matter, nothing had changed. Frankie was still booted from the squad and Lola and Shay didn't even stick up for her! They had been best friends since the 3rd grade! If that wasn't friendship, Frankie didn't know what was. Maybe it was all a joke. Maybe they didn't even like her in the first place. Maybe they only cared about pleasing Zoe so they could stay on the team. Sick.

And then there was her father. The one person who made her feel safe and secure. The one person she trusted 100%. But he broke her trust and faith in him; when he hit Miles, cheated on her mom, screamed at Hunter, but most of all, when he revealed his true, ugly self, making her take the fall. He was just like Zoe. . .

* * *

After having to pause the movie 5 times so she could cry, Frankie decided enough was enough. No one took her seriously. No one understood her. No one listened to her. What was the point? What was the point of even getting out of bed everyday, just to get haunted by her demons? Frankie was on the edge of sanity, the last straw. She was losing her mind. Who could she trust? Who could she confide in? Who could she—

Loud banging interrupted her train of thought. Frankie groaned and got up slowly, not in the mood for who ever was at the door. She crossed her arms at her older brother.

"Get lost Miles," she said rudely.

"Hey, I'm doing you a favor Frankenstein!" he retorted.

"Huh?" she asked tiredly.

Miles grinned, gesturing his hand towards the hallway. Frankie peered over his shoulders, and gasped. There stood Lola and Shay, looking as bubbly and excited as ever.

"I'll let you guys talk," Miles said, closing the door behind him.

Frankie stood, mouth agape. A silence soon fell between the three girls. Finally, she spoke.

"What are you guys doing here?"

The two girls glanced at each other before Shay quickly replied, "We were worried about you Franks!"

"Yah!" piped up Lola. "I mean, no texts, no calls, no—wait do people still call each other?"

Shay rolled her eyes. "Look, Frankie, we're best friends, sisters even. The point is, we're here now."

The young Hollingsworth took one look at her "best friends" and burst out laughing. Shay and Lola stole worried glances at each other.

"Uh, Frankie?" Lola asked nervously. "You okay?"

This only made her laugh more. She threw her head back, unable to control herself.

Lola whimpered. She didn't like seeing her friend like this. Something was clearly wrong, but she didn't know what.

Finally, Frankie regained her composure. "Am I okay? Wow. Ok, let me break it down for you."

Shay bit her bottom lip.

"Zoe, the bitch from hell, bullies me and forces me off the team, and my two "so called friends" don't even stick up for me?" she shouted. She gritted her teeth, the rage suddenly building up. She took a few short, angry huffs before continuing, "And on top of that, my father hates me for something I didn't do!"

Shay and Lola stood stock still, not knowing what to say. It was all so uncomfortable; here their friend was, at her most vulnerable point, spilling her sorrows to the two people she should feel at home with. But everything Frankie just said was true; they weren't there for her when she needed them most. But more importantly, she had other issues, besides this catty cheerleader/bff drama.

Lola took a deep before saying, "Frankie, you're right, okay? We definitely should have said something when Zoe was being so mean to you, but we were scared she would turn on us."

"Coward," Frankie muttered under her breathe.

Shay glared at her friend before suddenly crying, "You know Frankie? I'm done. I'm done trying to be your friend! You could have called or texted this week, but you didn't. Why?" she asked before continuing, "We're friends, Frankie! We want to help you! Whatever's bothering you, we want to help! But this?" she said, gesturing to the overflowing trash can, piles of food trays, and unmade bed. "This is not healthy. You need help, Franks."

Frankie stared at her. She had no idea Shay was that outspoken. She was about to open her mouth to respond when Shay held up a finger.

"Save it," she said before angrily storming out of the room.

Lola looked from where Shay had just been standing to Frankie. What was happening? Why was everyone fighting? Why was it suddenly World War III?

"Lola, let's go!" Shay shouted from the hallway.

The pink and purple haired girl sighed and headed for the door, head hung low, shoulders slumped. She paused as her fingers brushed against the metal doorknob and took one last, pleading look at Frankie before disappearing into the darkness.

* * *

Miles's heart was racing; he had heard the shouting all the way from his room. He thought for sure that seeing some friends would bring his sister out of her slump, but it did the opposite. Worried and down right curious, he had checked on her afterwards, only to have a shoe thrown at him. _Why couldn't it have been a pair of sneakers instead of one her crazy heels?!_

Nevertheless, his plan didn't work; Frankie was still severely depressed, and showed no signs of getting better. He sighed, wishing that everything was fine, and his family wasn't falling apart. He thought back to his childhood, whenever he was upset, angry, or just needed someone to talk to, he always went to his mom for help. Now, they rarely interacted, and he hated it. He hated how his father was driving a wedge between Miles and his family, ripping them apart like disregarded pieces of paper.

Not wanting to ruin the last good relationship he had left with his family, Miles decided to talk to his mom about all this. As quoted by Maya, "when you don't tell people what's inside of your head, it only gets worse."

* * *

Miles took a deep breath as he began the trek to the basement where his mom was busy doing laundry. The squeakiness and creaking of the old wooden stairs immediately gave him away, causing his mom to spin around in surprise.

"Oh, Miles, you scared me! What do you need?"

"It's about Frankie."

Mrs. Hollingsworth looked puzzled. "What about her, honey?"

Miles sighed. "She locks herself in her room all day, barely eating, skipping school—"

"Hold up, Miles. She is not skipping school, she's sick."

Miles groaned in annoyance at her obliviousness. "Mom, she is not! At least, not the way you're thinking."

The mother of three sighed before asking tiredly, "Miles, what are you talking about?"

"Mom, I think Frankie is depressed," he said slowly, waiting nervously for her response.

Mrs. Hollingsworth stared at her eldest son, like he had just spoken pig Latin. "What? You think little miss sunshine is depressed?" she scoffed, causing Miles of grab his hair in utter frustration. She paused. "This isn't about your father is it?"

At this, Miles threw his hands up in the air, and began to pace around the room, fidgeting with his sleeves as he did so. Seeing the jumpiness and uneasiness in her son, Mrs. Hollingsworth spoke gently, "Miles, your father did an awful thing to you. . ."

Miles immediately tensed up as she said this, his father's hand striking him across the face haunted his sleep.

"But you're not the only one! Hunter was screamed at for no reason! Frankie was betrayed! I got cheated on for crying out loud!"

Miles looked taken aback. What was she talking about?! He was the one with the bruise under his eye!

"Look, what I'm trying to say is that, well, girls tend to react more to emotional things than boys, that's all."

"What? Mom that is so not what is happening!" he shouted, completely shocked by her ignorance.

"Oh, really, then what is happening Miles?" she said, fed up with his nonsense.

Miles looked away, tears brimming in the corner of his eyes. Why didn't she believe him?! It was her daughter they were talking about after all. Didn't she care? Didn't she care that her children were hurting? Sighing, he slowly turned to face her, the words suddenly flying out of his mouth without control;

"Frankie isn't being herself! Cutting herself off from the rest of world isn't normal! Mom, she's not okay!" he said, blinking back the tears.

"Miles, enough!" she snapped. He froze, her sharp tone catching him off guard. Unfazed by her son's reaction, she continued briskly, "Stop meddling where you don't belong! Our family has been through enough!"

As soon as the words tumbled from her lips, she instantly regretted it; the look of hurt and hopeless on Miles's face almost made her cry. _No, you will not cry in front of your son. You have to be strong, show him that he can have faith in his mother._

The eldest Hollingsworth child was crestfallen; he was fine with his father pointing the finger at him for the cause of all the family drama, and even his siblings (though he wished they wouldn't) but his mother? It was like a knife to the back. Completely and utterly distraught, he turned towards the stairs, not being able to stand it any longer.

"Miles, wait!" his mom shouted after him. He stopped halfway up the steps, not knowing what to expect.

"I'm sorry for shouting at you, honey. You're definitely not the reason everything has been going south lately."

Miles whirled around at hearing this, a wave of relief washing over him. He ran over to his mom and hugged her, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

Mrs. Hollingsworth closed her eyes as she felt the warmth of her son in her arms. She couldn't remember the last time she had hugged one of her children; everyone was always fighting with one another that there was rarely any affection given. Sniffling, she slowly let go of him, gently squeezing his shoulders in an effort to comfort him.

* * *

Miles was beaming, grinning from ear to ear. Finally, _finally_ , someone understood him. Someone had _listened_ to him. He couldn't help but share his new found excitement;

"Mom, this is so great! For so long I thought I was problem, that I was the one causing everything. But we're on the same page! You can leave dad!" he said, laughing with excitement.

Mrs. Hollingsworth went from pure happy to downright depressed in two seconds. Miles, seeing her facial expressions, laughed nervously, "We are on the same page, right?" Silence. "Right?" he shouted, louder this time.

"Well, not exactly, honey. I can't just leave your father!"

"What? Of course you can!" Miles cried, the desperation edging in his voice. His mom sighed and shook her head.

"No, I can't. He has all the money, all the power. If I left him and took you guys with me, we would wind up on the streets, with no where to go. Then what? I can't raise my kids in that kind of environment! I just can't!"

Suddenly, Miles's whole world came crashing down; it had been built up and up this whole time in the basement, slowly but surely making progress. Then when he had reached the peak, he thought it would be smooth sailing from there on out. Oh how wrong he had been.

* * *

A/N

Ok, I know I've been away for almost a month, but trust me when I say, these past weeks/weekends have been crazy for me. First I had a field hockey tournament, so I had to post a weekend later. But after that, it was Homecoming, then my best friend's sweet 16, then I visited my brother in college for the weekend. I'm so sorry I left you guys hanging, it's just that my schedule has been crazy busy. But I had a couple of days off this week for parent teacher conferences (exciting right?) and finally found some time to write. Anyways, I just wanted to explain why I've been away for so long. This weekend I may or may not be able to post, the reason being it's the Prep B championship game this weekend for my high school field hockey team, but it all depends if we win the semi-finals this wednesday. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter, next update is coming soon :)


	9. Enough is enough

Hunter paced around the living room, nervously awaiting Arlene's arrival. Fortunately, his father was not home; he was at some press conference over an hour away and wouldn't be home for awhile. Hunter knew his dad would find some way, any way to make a big deal about having a girl over. He sighed. _It's not like we're doing drugs, we're studying for crying out loud!_ All the anxiety and anticipation made Hunter wish his father would just yell at him already, just to get it over with. The fear of the unknown and uncertainty was eating him alive.

Suddenly, a loud, piercing ring echoed throughout the house, abruptly bringing Hunter out of his thoughts. He gulped, all of his worries rushing back, whelming up in his chest, so much so he couldn't breathe. Slowly, he got up, trying to calm himself down. _It's just Arlene, it's just Arlene, it's just—_

"Hi!" she exclaimed.

Before he had time to react, Arlene flung her arms around him in a big bear hug, causing the young teen's face to flush a bright red. He smiled as his nostrils inhaled her hair. _Was it vanilla? No, no, coconut. Or maybe it was honey? Oh that's great Hunter, stand there like a fool guessing what kind of shampoo she used. He sighed. This is gonna be a loooooong night._

* * *

"So to get the x intercept, you…," Arlene asked encouragingly.

"Set y equal to zero!" Hunter cried in excitement.

"Yes! You got it!"

He quickly grabbed the pencil off the coffee table and finished writing the problem out. His hands flew across the page, formulas, graphs, equations oh my!

Arlene smiled as she watched her friend work. He was so cute when he concentrated; a soft smile tugging on the edge of his lips, his tongue slightly sticking out of his mouth, his hands moving gracefully across the page. She wanted him. She didn't care that he was her only companion and she could be risking their friendship. She _just didn't care_.

"Hunter," she said quietly.

"Hmm," he said absentmindedly, engrossed in his work.

"Hunter," she said again, softer this time.

When he didn't answer, Arlene grabbed his chin and gently brushed her lips against his, catching him completely off guard. She quickly pulled back, suddenly regretting her hasty decision, eyeing his shocked expression. She turned her head away, embarrassed by her immaturity of the whole thing, only to feel her face cupped in his hands in one, swift tender motion, her heart pounding the entire time. They locked eyes for a split second, his crystal blue eyes mesmerizing beyond belief. He closed his eyes and leaned in, their noses gently rubbing against each other, his minty breath lingering on her lips, she could almost taste it. She closed her eyes. This was it. There was no going back. Slowly, their lips met, briefly at first, then, deep and passionate. She ran her fingers through his auburn hair, smiling into the kiss. He gently caressed her cheeks, spreading instant warmth throughout her whole body. Time slowed down, and suddenly, Arlene and Hunter were the only ones in the room.

"Ahem."

Hunter shot up, immediately recognizing the voice. _This can't be happening, this can't be happening!_

"Dad?" he managed to choke out. He looked at Arlene, who was fidgeting with her sleeves nervously.

"That's right! Surprised to see me?" he shouted. Hunter could only nod.

"I thought you weren't suppose to be home for hours!"

"Funny how some things work out, isn't it? I did so well at the conference that it ended early. Imagine my surprise when I come home to find my son shoving his tongue down some whore's throat!"

"Hey!" Hunter shouted angrily, his veins pulsing rapidly. "Don't you dare call her that!"

"Oh, yah, tough guy, what are you going to do about it?" he shot back, taking a step closer.

Hunter quickly grabbed Arlene's arm and whispered in her ear so only she could hear, "Go."

She turned to look at him; though he tried to look brave, she could see the fear in his eyes.

"Go!" he said, choking back tears.

"But—"

"Now!" he shouted, eyeing his father worriedly as he took another menacing step.

Arlene froze, completely and utterly scared beyond belief. Now that she knew what Hunter had been going through at home, she didn't want to leave him to his father. There was no telling what he'd do now that Hunter had been caught. In a panic, she grabbed his hand in a death grip, unable to let go. Hunter moaned, the tight grip causing him to lose circulation in his hand. He struggled to free his fingers; his father getting closer and closer only made him panic more.

 _Calm down Hunter, calm down._ Finally, he managed to pry her off. Arlene looked up at him, worry etched on her face. She looked so helpless, it almost made Hunter cry. She was everything he ever wanted, and here she was, standing right in front of him, but he couldn't enjoy it. He couldn't be with the one person who understood and respected him. He gritted his teeth in pure frustration as images of his father flashed through his mind. Quickly, he ushered her out of the room, buying himself more time.

"Hunter, I can't leave you!" Arlene cried, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

Hunter wiped it with the back of his thumb, and cupped her face in his hands and said, "Arlene, you have to! I'll be alright, I promise," he said, not so sure he sounded convincing. Apparently she thought the same thing, for he could see the doubt behind her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but he quickly silenced her with a kiss.

"Hunter, get back here right now!" shouted his father, interrupting the couple's heartfelt goodbye.

Arlene stood, physically shaking. Seeing her uneasiness, Hunter squeezed her shoulders comfortingly, a small smile forming, trying to reassure her that everything was going to be okay.

"Hunter!"

Nodding at the trembling girl, Arlene took one last look at her best friend before running out the door, never looking back.

* * *

Hunter stood in the doorway, watching Arlene's long brown hair swish back and fourth. He sighed. She was so beautiful; he had always stared at her in class, daydreaming that he would finally get the courage to ask her out.

"Hunter! You get here this instant!" threatened Mr. Hollingsworth.

Hunter turned to look at his father, a drunken, angry mess.

"Dad have you been drinking?!"

Mr. Hollingsworth glared at his son. "That is none of your business! If I'm stressed out at work, I can have a drink or two."

"More like a truck load," Hunter muttered under his breathe.

"What was that?" demanded Mr. Hollingsworth.

"Nothing!" Hunter said quickly, covering up his tracks.

His father eyed him suspiciously and muttered, "That's what I thought."

Hunter gulped and looked around the room nervously, wondering what on earth his father was about to unleash.

"Now, what's this I hear about you getting in a fight?!"

Hunter groaned as he remembered his encounter with Zig. "Dad, that wasn't my fault!" he cried desperately. "Zig was the one who started it!"

"Oh really, then how come you got detention?" his father shot back.

Hunter opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out; he couldn't answer. If his dad found he was the one who punched Zig… he shuddered.

"Well?" his father asked impatiently.

Hunter gulped. His mind scrambled to come up with something, _anything_ , to get him out of this, but when he came up shorthanded, he took a deep breathe and said,

"Because I punched Zig."

"You did WHAT?!" cried Mr. Hollingsworth.

"Alright, fine. I punched Zig! But it was only because he was making fun of me in front of everyone!" Hunter added quickly.

"Stop blaming others for your failures!" his father cried, throwing his hands up in the air in frustration. "You got _yourself_ detention, not Zig!"

" _But he started it Dad!"_ Hunter cried in exasperation. "He grabbed my arm and I walked away, but then he—"

"Enough!" Mr. Hollingsworth bellowed, scaring Hunter into silence. "I'm sick and tired of hearing you make up excuses! Not _only_ did you get in a fight and as a result get detention, you also failed your test!"

"Dad I'm sorry!" Hunter cried, choking back tears.

"You're a failure! I can't even stand to look at you!"

"Dad please!" Hunter begged, the tears streaming down his face. "I'll try harder next time, I promise!"

"It's too late for that!" his father cried.

"No, it's not!" Hunter said, determined to prove his dad wrong. "That's why Arlene was here, to help me study!" as soon as he said this, he instantly regretted it; Mr. Hollingsworth was clenching his jaw in fury. He looked at his son like he was delirious and laughed sarcastically,

"Since when was making out considered 'studying'?"

Hunter looked at the ground. He had to admit, his father _did_ have a point, but they really did study! They just happened to kiss when they were done… but Hunter didn't understand why his father was making such a big deal out of it! His mom practically caught Frankie and Winston having sex, and did his dad say anything about that? No! And now it was suddenly a crime to kiss someone?

"I mean, honestly Hunter—"

"Shut up! Shut up!" Hunter yelled, cutting his father off. He clenched his jaw in anger, his chest rising and falling with the sudden adrenaline rush. But he was just getting started.

"You have _no_ right to judge who I kiss!" he exclaimed, his father's stunned expression urging him to continue. "You cheated on mom with your assistant for crying out loud!"

Mr. Hollingsworth opened his mouth to speak, but Hunter, fired up, shouted, "Don't you dare say you got caught up in the moment, because you and I both know that isn't true! You had an affair for months!" he said, taking short huffs of breath in an attempt to calm down.

Mr. Hollingsworth looked at his son, amused at how upset he was getting. "You couldn't have at least picked a prettier girl? Or one who people actually know?" he said, laughing in between insults.

That did it. That set Hunter on edge. Without warning, he charged at his father, furious by his condescending remarks. Mr. Hollingsworth saw his son come at him out of the corner of his eyes. He smirked, having just enough time to grab his wrist. Hunter flailed his arms around violently, trying to break free from his dad, but he held him down firmly.

"Let me go!" Hunter cried, the annoyance evident in his voice.

"Fine, whatever you say," his father replied, an evil smirk tugging on his lips. Hunter looked up at his father, angst written all over his face.

Mr. Hollingsworth let go of Hunter's wrist and flung him with such force that his back crashed violently into the wall. He groaned as he lay disoriented on the wooden floor, his body in a tangled heap. He tried to get up but the shooting pain in his back instantly made him collapse. He gritted his teeth, the frustration setting in. He knew his father was watching, amused at his misery. He probably thought he was weak because he couldn't take a beating, or stand on his own two feet for that matter. As Hunter was thinking these thoughts, he looked around him and noticed for the first time that the house was completely empty. He gulped. With no one home, there wasn't anyone to witness his father's treachery.

"Get up!" his father shrieked, the sound ringing in his ears. Hunter quickly scrambled to his feet, his father's sudden tone of voice scaring him greatly.

Mr. Hollingsworth, seething with rage, grabbed Hunter's shirt collar and yelled, "How dare you talk to your father like that! What I do with my life is none of your business!" he declared, his breath huffing in short bursts of anger. "I will not be a made a fool of by my own flesh and blood!" he finished. He let go of Hunter's shirt briskly, causing the young boy to stumble backwards.

"Now, do you have anything to say for yourself?" Mr. Hollingsworth stated calmly.

Hunter looked up at his father, his brown eyes staring back at him expectantly. He looked away, thinking. _What if he said what was on his mind?_ His siblings got away with everything; Miles did drugs, Frankie sold nudes, and now all of a sudden Hunter kisses someone and it's a crime?! Unbelievable. Was he just the third sibling who didn't even matter? Did no one in his family even care for his existence?

"Well?" his father asked again, more impatiently this time.

Hunter turned his gazed back to his father, eyeing him wearily before replying, "Yes, I have something to say," he began. Mr. Hollingsworth looked taken aback, but Hunter ignored his stunned expression and continued, "Miles had Tristan over all the time without asking permission! Same for Frankie with Winston! And they both did some questionable things," he said, checking for some kind of reaction, but Mr. Hollingsworth was expressionless. Sighing, Hunter went on, "I have Arlene over to help me with _homework_ , something neither Tristan nor Winston seemed to do I may add," he paused, his rant making his throat dry. He never imagined he would have the courage to stand up to his father, _especially_ after the crazy week it had been; his father had talked him down so much that he felt like he couldn't speak his mind or stand up for himself when his father was being unreasonable. But, with the help of Arlene, (and a little gaming) Hunter realized that _no one_ , not even his own father could silence him. No matter what, he was going to make sure his voice was heard loud and clear, and it started now:

"You catch me kissing someone I really like, and then scream at me? Why? What's the point? I'm just going to see her again! You never got involved when mom practically caught Frankie and Winston having sex! Or what about the time when—"

Word after word that flowed from his lips angered Mr. Hollingsworth more by the second. His patience was wearing thin and his temper was flaring. How dare Hunter disrespect him! Not to mention throwing his siblings under the bus like that. He shook his head in disgust. Rage boiled throughout his body. He barely had a chance to think of his actions; the only thought running through his head was getting Hunter to shut up.

He pursed his lips and raised his hand back, throwing it forward as hard as he could, and whipped it across his face. The crack of skin contacting skin echoed off the walls. Vibrations of pain started in his palm and spread all the way to his fingertips. His palm was bright red, the same shade that matched the one on his son's face. Hunter started at him with his eyes wide as his hand slowly made its way to his fiery red cheek.

He should've felt some kind of remorse, but he didn't. Not one organ in his body could possibly produce guilt for his actions. A triumphant grin spread across his face as he watched pure terror engulf his son.

* * *

Miles sat in his room upstairs, a huge textbook at the foot of the bed and loose papers with scribbled notes sprawled around him at every possible angle. He was trying to understand the difference between mitosis and meiosis when he suddenly heard shouting coming from downstairs. He tried to tune it out, but the noise was too much. He groaned, the fighting in the house never seemed to cease. He slid his feet over the edge of his bed, glancing at the list of remaining things he still had to study. _When would he ever need to know this stuff?!_

As he made his way through the dark hallway, Miles noted the eerie silence (other than the ruckus that was coming from downstairs of course). He wondered where the rest of the family was; Miles was pretty sure his father had some big conference hours away, so he couldn't be the one yelling. That only left his mom and Frankie and Hunter. He frowned. That didn't seem right; the three of them always got along, at least to Miles's knowledge. _Anyone other than dad couldn't be that hard to get along with_ he thought.

He peered around the corner to the den but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the scene unfold. He felt as though he had been paralyzed by some unseen, mind numbing force. How. . . Why. . . For how long. . . Thoughts flew discordantly through his mind as he failed to comprehend the scene before his eyes. Hunter was hurt. Being hurt. The lumbering hulk of their father stood above his brother's frail form, a scowl clear on his face, his fists clenched.

All at once Miles was freed from his confusion, now possessed by a passionate hatred, a fury at the beast that could dare claim the title of their father. Hot blood rushed through his veins, and he could feel his heart pound with a mantra of vengeance. _I'll kill him. I'll kill him!_

* * *

Hunter stood frozen, his world completely flipped upside down. For so long, Miles had been trying to convince Hunter their father was evil, that he was the one tearing the family apart. Hunter had pushed those thoughts away; he still held hope for their father deep down. He still believed that Mr. Hollingsworth was the family man he remembered him as. But time after time again Hunter saw his father change, molding and taking shape as an abusive monster. But because of Hunter's stubbornness and obliviousness, he was now paying for it in the form of a crimson welt, fresh on his cheek.

* * *

"Come out, Miles," Mr. Hollingsworth called. Hunter froze at the sound of his brother's name. _He was here the whole time?!_ "Miles Hollingsworth, if you don't come out this instant—"

Before he had time to finish his sentence, the older Hollingsworth brother appeared, his hands shaking and his whole body trembling in fear as he entered the room. Hunter looked down.

"Now," their father said, crossing the room to where Miles stood. Hunter watched helplessly as their father grabbed Miles's shoulder roughly and whispered in a hoarse, raspy voice,

"If you tell _anyone_ , anyone at all, what you just saw," he said, his fowl breath lingering on his lips, sending shivers down Miles's spine. "I'll end you."

Miles's eyes widened in fear at his father's words. He held his breath, expecting some sort of blow to the head to follow his menacing threat, but when none came, Miles looked up, surprised, only to be met by darkness.

* * *

A/N

I know, I disappeared, _again,_ for god knows how long. But it was because I had trouble framing this chapter. About halfway through I looked at it was like nope, this is completely out of character and scrapped it. I spent several weekends reworking it, trying to built it up. I think this chapter is the climax of the whole series, and I think I finally know where to go from here. Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter, it's the longest I've written so far :)


	10. Dear brother

"Miles!" Hunter screamed, running to where he lay unconscious. The young boy knelt by his older brother, tears brimming in the corner of his eyes. How could their father do something like this?! Striking them was bad enough, but this?! Too far. Way too far. Hunter looked into the eyes of the foul man hovering over Miles's body. Stifling sobs, he choked out in a hoarse whisper, "How could you Dad? How _could_ you?"

Mr. Hollingsworth turned slightly at the mention of his name, eying the tears in his son's crystal blue orbs. _What was going on?!_ Every person who crossed his path suffered endless cycles of pain and misery. _Had he really just done that?_ Had he really just knocked his son unconscious? No, there had to be some logical explanation. Perhaps Miles had said some snarky comment or offensive remark that pushed him to do the unthinkable to his own flesh and blood. _Yeah, that's gotta be it_ Mr. Hollingsworth thought. He glanced one last time to his youngest who was vigorously trying to shake Miles awake. Without uttering a single word, he turned towards the archway of the den and slowly walked away, never looking back. Hunter, seeing his father's departure out of the corner of his eye, cried out desperately, "Dad, wait!" but the tall, prominent shadow began to shrink, disappearing into darkness.

* * *

"Miles!" he cried again. "Miles wake up! Please!" Hunter shouted, but to no avail. He felt his eyes burn, the salty liquid threatening to spew at any second. "It's all my fault. It's all my fault!" Hunter cried out in agony, the tears finally streaming down this face.

"Hun-Hunter?" Miles stammered, the throbbing pain from the violent attack still present.

Hunter whipped his head up at the sound of his name. "Miles!" he shouted, a wave of relief washing over him. He quickly wiped his tear-stained cheeks with the back of his hand, sniffling slightly.

"Hunt-er what, what happened?" the older boy asked, slowly sitting up. He placed his hands behind his back in an effort to support his limp body.

Hunter bit his lip and quickly looked away from his older brother, silence consuming him.

"I-I remember get-getting into a fight? With Dad?" Miles asked, looking at his younger brother for help, but Hunter said nothing. He frowned slightly but decided against pressing him further; from what he had just witnessed, Hunter had been through enough tonight. Sighing, the eldest Hollingsworth child continued, "He threatened me and-that's the last thing I remember," he finished. It scared him greatly to think that he couldn't remember what had happened. _How hard was he hit?_

"It's all my fault," Hunter said slowly, his back still to his brother. He couldn't bear to look into his eyes; the guilt was eating him alive.

"Wha-what?" Miles asked, dazed and confused.

"It's all my fault," Hunter repeated with a lump in his throat. He looked back at him, fighting back the fresh new tears he felt coming on.

"Hunter, what are you talking about?" Miles asked, finally gathering the strength to sit up properly and face the other Hollingsworth boy.

"Don't you get it?" Hunter cried. "It's my fault! Everything! Dad going crazy, knocking you out, everything!" the young boy sobbed, his body beginning to shake violently.

Oh no. Oh no, no, no! It was happening! Just like Miles feared! Their father had done it; he'd gotten instead Hunter's head and manipulated him into thinking everything, all the destruction and annihilation of their family was his fault. That sick bastard! Their father, the supreme law of the land, had done the exact same thing to Miles, and he still wasn't okay, and probably never will be.

"Hunter, no!" Miles cried desperately.

"But it's true," Hunter whispered, so quietly Miles had to strain his ears to hear him. "And the only thing I can do is leave," he said, before dashing out the back door.

"Hunter, wait!" the oldest Hollingsworth sibling called, struggling to get up; he was still feeling extremely faint and dizzy from the blow to his head. He clenched his teeth in an attempt to maintain focus, but the colors in his vision began to blur, and Miles could feel himself falling until all that was left was darkness.

* * *

Mr. Hollingsworth sat in his bedroom, upstairs, away from his children. He was trying to finish writing a speech he had to deliver for next weeks press conference, but it wasn't going too well. This was unusual for the middle-aged father; he usually gave tremendous speeches that helped boost his fan base. He picked up the piece of paper he had been working on and began to read it quietly. He frowned halfway through and crumpled it up, angrily tossing it in the trash. _Calm down, calm down_ he thought. The stress of the campaign had been one giant snowball effect, and his children were responsible; all the drama they caused (most recently and unexpectedly Hunter), was wearing him out, which left him no energy for his work.

Why couldn't he get them to behave properly? He was running for mayor, so the entire family was in the public eye. Didn't they realize that every little thing they did affected his potential career? Why didn't they care? Why didn't they care that they were screwing up? All he wanted was some gratitude for everything he, as their father, had done for them. All he received was constant whining and complaints.

* * *

Miles's eyes fluttered open like a butterfly spreading its wings. He groaned and sat up, wincing at the slight pain he felt in his head. He faintly remembered passing out—twice. The first had been after his dad…wait what exactly had he done? Thrown him onto the ground? Kicked his head? He sighed, the possibilities of scenarios were terrifyingly endless. Whatever his father did, it hurt, a lot. Enough to knock him out. _Who does that do their own son?_ Being unconscious was serious, more so than a slap; if he was out much longer, well, Miles didn't want to think about the consequences. He sighed again, trying to remember the second time. It was right after Hunter—oh shit. Hunter! Miles had completely forgotten his brother's meltdown. He could be anywhere! On top of that, it was pitch black outside and pouring rain. Poor Hunter… Miles mind began to wander off, but a sudden crackle of thunder brought him back to reality. He had to find his brother. _He had to._

* * *

 _Jacket, check. Keys, check. Phone, check_ Miles murmured to himself. He was frantically running around the house, gathering his things to go out and search for Hunter. His rapid, intense movement matched the violent forces of nature outside; loud booms of thunder could be heard over the buckets of rain that seemed to pour endlessly from the gray clouds above. Miles took a minute to calm down, his heart thumping wildly in his chest to the beat of a crazed drummer. He sighed, poor Hunter was out, all alone, lost and afraid; but worst of all, he thought everything was his fault. Miles swallowed a lump in his throat as he thought this, for he knew exactly what Hunter was going through; he had been down that road before, the twisted and destructive road of self-loathing and hopeless despair. He remembered the feeling of being completely and utterly useless, like there was nothing he could do to stop the dysfunctional family that is the Hollingsworth. No one, and he meant no one should ever get to a place that dark. He wouldn't wish it upon his worst enemy; it was a nightmare. Miles shuddered, trying to shove the unpleasant memories out of his head. Now that he'd experienced it first hand, it was up to him to stop Hunter from going down that same road.

Miles was about to run out the door when he realized he had forgotten his wallet; inside contained his drivers license. He didn't want to risk getting caught while trying to find Hunter. He could only imagine the ordeal if he was pulled over; _Oh, sorry officer, I don't have my license with me but I really am 16 because what other 16 year old drives an expensive car in the middle of a storm looking for his brother who ran away because their dad is a scumbag who cheats on his wife and abuses his children both physically and emotional but then buys them nice things like this car to make up for it?_

The young teen chuckled to himself; he couldn't help it, sometimes he needed to be a satire to help him cope with all the family drama. He had to admit, sometimes things were so crazy at home that he questioned why the Hollingsworths didn't have their own tv show, one similar to that of the Kardashians. He shook his head as he started up the stairs, trying to remember where he'd left his wallet. Before he could even reach the top step, a sharp pain came in contact with the blade of his shoulder. He whirled around, gasping in surprise of the sudden, brisk force. A low growl suddenly rose in Miles's throat as he watched his father hurry down the staircase, not even bothering to apologize.

"Hey!" the young teen shouted. When his father didn't respond, Miles tore down the stairs, infuriated. "Look at me!" he demanded, his patience wearing thin with every word he spoke.

Mr. Hollingsworth stopped dead in his tracks at the sharp tone of voice. He hated when Miles disrespected him.

"What do you want Miles?" Mr. Hollingsworth asked, turning to face him as if his son was of zero importance to the millionaire.

The brown-haired boy stared incredulously at his father before shouting in protest, "What do I want? Is that a joke? What I want is for you to clean up your act!" Mr. Hollingsworth held up a finger to intervene, put the determined teen cut him off, "You keep saying that you'll try harder but that's bull!"

Mr. Hollingsworth glared at son before interjecting, "You watch your mouth young man!"

"Or what, you'll hit me?" Miles cried, unable to stop the words from escaping his lips. Tears were brimming in the corner of his eyes. He swallowed once, trying to maintain his composure, but the harder he tried, the harder he felt the vicious liquid whelm up in his bloodshot eyes. He blinked; years of torment and pure hatred for the man screaming behind that simple remark. They were dying to be heard by someone, anyone, but it was all masked by the young boy's inflated ego, an ego he had adapted from the man standing before him.

Mr. Hollingsworth stood glaring at his eldest son, lips thin as razor blades, a clear sign that Miles should not have just said that. The middle-aged man threw back his hand, quick as a whip, and struck his son across the face in a viscous backhand, almost _i_ _dentical_ to the one his other son had suffered earlier.

Miles stumbled backwards from the harsh blow, clutching his cheek in pain. A single tear escaped from his eye, stinging his bruised face briefly before resting on the bridge of his nose. His heart caught in his throat as he realized that that was the second time his father had hit him (not including the countless times he violently grabbed his arm or threw him into the wall). The troubled teen bit his bottom lip to stop from quivering; he was sure if this happened, tears would soon fall harder than the rain outside.

"So you see," drawled his father, his tone dripping with silk. "I'm not the one pulling the punches," he paused, eyeing his son's irritated expression in amusement. "Well, you know what I mean," he chuckled. "Here you are, all fired up, ready to go, but your tongue and bad attitude are the things that cost you, not me."

"No," Miles whispered.

Mr. Hollingsworth frowned. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"No," Miles repeated, more defiant this time. "No! Nothing I say or do could ever justify the pain you've put me through, physically and emotionally," he spat, stealing at glance at his father, but he was shocked beyond belief. Miles smiled to himself, that small yet simple victory was enough to keep him going. "Your little mind manipulation game is the reason Hunter ran away. And if you can't see that, then you need to leave once and for all," he paused, unsure if he should say what his mind was begging him to shout. He closed his eyes, contemplating. If he didn't get it off his chest now, he was going to regret it for the rest of his life. He opened his eyes and stared straight at man whom he hated the most and said, "You're hurting your family by staying."

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A/N

I know, I suck at updating, but it's just been really hard to find time to write. I had ALOT going on at school before winter break, and the days leading up to Christmas were hectic as well. But, anyways, I'm back now and have about a week and a half of break left, so I'll try to update one more time before I go back to school. Happy holidays!


	11. Sing for the moment

Omg you guys. There are now words to describe how sorry I am for not updating in god knows how many months. School got intense and then it was summer and I got lazy (still am whoops). But I promise from now I will try to update more frequently. Sorry this chapter is on the short side, but I felt the need to post something. Thanks for being patient and enjoy :)

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"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"That is enough! I have just about had it with you!" Mr. Hollingsworth shouted, taking a step towards Miles.

The young teen was scared shitless, but he fought to keep his face stoic.

"You were always the black sheep Miles," his father addressed, taking another step. "And at times, your mother and I didn't know what we were going to do. I mean, our first born was already a fuckup before he even hit his teens!"

Miles clenched his hands into fists until he felt his nails dig into his palms, but he still didn't say anything. He quickly decided that there was no need to poke the bear and make it more angry than it already was.

"Miles, your rebellious and self-destructive behaviors are the reasons I am the way you insist on perceiving me as," his father said simply, as if he were explaining this to a first grader.

"No they're not!" Miles finally shouted, unable to hold it in any longer. "I do all of these reckless and hazardous things to myself _because_ of the way _you've_ perceived me as since the day I was born!"

His father stared at him, as if he were trying to read his mind, then immediately threw his head back in laughter. "Oh god, Miles, really, you ought to have a reality check or something," he said in between chuckles. "I mean honestly, get over yourself! The whole world isn't about you for crying out loud!"

Miles opened his mouth to speak, but his father had silenced him. Maybe he really did try to read his mind earlier because he said,

"Lost for words are you?" he teased. "You know what your problem is?" he asked, continuing to get ever so closer to him. Miles shifted his weight between his two feet and folded his arms across his chest. He was trying to stay calm, but inside he was a mess.

"You take everything so personally! 'Oh, look at me, I'm Miles Hollingsworth the third, and I get upset whenever someone says something negative about me!' he mimicked.

"Stop it," the boy muttered under his breath.

"Oh, have I upset you? Big freaking surprise!" he shouted, causing Miles to look away.

"I said stop it," he repeated, desperately trying to hold onto what little dignity he had left.

"What are you going to do Miles, really? You don't pose a threat at all."

"ENOUGH!" he screamed, taking his balled fist and raising it so it was just inches from his father's face.

"Oh, I take it back son, maybe I had you all wrong," his father said thoughtfully.

Miles could only glare daggers.

"Oh, what's with the hesitation? What are you waiting for? I know you wanna do it Miles."

The teen in question closed his eyes, trying to escape his voice. Blood pulsing rapidly through his veins, Miles twisted his face in pain as he struggled to ignore his father's taunts. More than anything he wanted to knock him out, but where would that lead? Their relationship was always like a game of tug of war; both sides fought endlessly to gain the upper hand, but it was always a long and draining battle.

Miles opened his eyes so he was face to face with his father and then took a deep breath before slowly lowering his fist.

"Wow Miles, you really disappoint, don't you? I guess that's the one thing we can always count on you to do…" he added crudely.

"No dad!" he shouted, fed up with the whole conversation. "I am not a disappointment by any means. I've overcome so many hardships that most people are lucky to avoid. All the pain and suffering I've felt my whole life has only made me stronger, and thus I am stronger than you; I'm not going to hit you even though you've hit me countless times and you fucking deserve it. It would be as pointless as your attempts to be a husband and father. Even though at times I've come close, I am not the apple of your eye or the spiting image of you; I am better than you which is sad when you think about it, but that's just the way it is. I refuse to even be associated with you anymore. So either you leave this family alone or I will tell the press _everything_ and have you impeached as mayor."

While he was talking, Miles noticed his dad's face growing more livid with each word he spoke, but that didn't intimate the teen one bit. He needed to get this off his chest for once and all. He had to be the bigger person and put a stop to all the bullshit if he ever wanted to move on from the past 16 years he had suffered. Light years seemed to pass, but neither Hollingsworth spoke. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife, and neither so much as lifted a pinky.

"This…this isn't over…" his dad finally muttered, in a dull, meaningless tone.

Before Miles could even react, he turned his back to him and shuffled out the door, grunting to himself.

The brown-haired boy watched his car pull out of the driveway and speed away, ignoring the several honks and shouts from nearby cars. Miles breathed a sigh of relief and slid his back against the door. He did it. He finally won.


End file.
